How can
a culture like ours define anything of value until we discover our purpose in
life?
Ravi
Zacharias
Last Wednesday night, I was blessed with an
opportunity to hear Ravi Zacharias speak at our General Assembly. His message
was drawn from 2 Kings 21-22. He painted a stark contrast between King Manasseh
and King Josiah. According to the Scripture, Manasseh followed “the detestable
practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites”.
Josiah, on the other hand, “did what was right in the eyes of the Lord”. In the
restoration of worship, King Josiah illustrates that it is our worship that
brings us together before God. Worship unites us. Worship is a privilege.
Worship helps us discover the true purpose of existence. When we worship, we
foster a contagious recognition of our Lord. Our worship renews our passion to
invite others to know God and serve Him. Our identity is authenticated by God’s
presence in us – the Holy Spirit. In fact, worship clarifies our identity and
God’s identity. In his message, Zacharias called the “deification of the
individual” the greatest sin of our age. The temptation to elevate our status
and reduce God to something less is manifested in so many ways today. I am
thankful for the sobering message as I turn my attention toward Proverbs in my
study of the Old Testament. Where do we find wisdom for life? Where to we find
understanding in the midst of our complex world? How do we resist
temptation? “The fear of the Lord is the
beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding” (Proverbs
9:10).
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